Stop by their flickr group to see what people are sharing each day, and add your own, too!

I thought I would share this photo of a crow feather from last summer, because the young crows in our area have learned to fly and are out exploring these days. I see them often in groups of three, sitting close together in the grass, playing in the air and making lots of noise. Over the winter we watched a fascinating documentary about them. If you’re interested, you can watch it here, on the CBC website: A Murder of Crows.

6/27/10

Despite the rain, we had a relaxing visit in Perth this weekend. We had a lovely hostess (thanks, Mum) and spent lots of time outside after the rain let up. I finally captured a long sought-after photo of a spider web holding raindrops. I’ll have some fun with this one, I’m sure!

I also sold a few cards to River Guild Gift Shop in Perth, so if you are in the area, please stop in. They have a shop full of stunning artwork, pottery and other beautiful things made by local artisans.

6/25/10

This is the first entry of what I hope to be a regular feature here on the blog. I have met so many talented female photographers through our Etsy group (FPOE), who kindly share their time and knowledge, giving advice and support to other members. Here you can read about what part of the world they live in, and how it influences their photography.

Mary Vican, West Warwick, Rhode Island, USA

Rhode Island is a coastal plain with rocky inlets, miles of sandy beaches, 100-foot bluffs and a wealth of inspiration for local photographer, Mary Vican. Known as "The Ocean State," RI boasts rugged ocean cliffs and breathtaking views, as well as lighthouses and colourful gingerbread cottages. Mary's photography features the cool, serene images that capture the feeling of a peaceful summer holiday at the beach.

Chatham, Cape Cod

Natural attractions that are nearby (some are accessible by ferry) include Block Island, Montauk (NY) and Cape Cod, which Mary lists as one of her favourite places to take her camera.

Falmouth, Cape Cod

Mary describes how she interprets her environment into her photography:

"I like to shoot things as I see them; to capture the way I felt approaching a secluded part of the beach from the dunes, for example. When I see my final photo and it takes me back to that place or moment, I know it's successful."

The Dunes

Having all four seasons provides a variety of scenery, but Mary loves the ideal light and breathtaking foliage of Autumn, and the first, pristine snow of Winter. She feels that she is most active during the Summer, when the weather is perfect for travelling. "Right now I use every luscious Summer weekend for road tripping and photographing!" she says.

Although a bit further away, Acadia National Park, The Berkshires (MA) and New Hampshire's White Mountains are destinations she loves to visit, taking in the different scenery and wildlife. Some of the local wildlife in her area include Robins, Cardinals, Red-Tailed Hawks, Squirrels, Beavers, Eastern Screech Owls, Osprey, and Striped Bass. Her dad even caught the state record two years ago- weighing in at a whopping 75.4 lbs!

Faraway places she's visited: Bahamas, London, Paris, and Greece, where she has also captured the beauty of life by the seaside:

The Beauty of Greece

On her list of places to see: Italy, Santa Fe, New Mexico, Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)

6/21/10

Frankly I wondered how long I would be able to keep up a blog, but I have really appreciated the motivation to keep up with my photography, and to continue with my shop. I am also grateful to have a regular creative outlet. I would really love to do more writing as well; I have a few ideas that I hope to start working on soon.

The weekend was filled with sunshine and rain showers, but I managed to take a short walk through the woods at Hampton Park where I found this pretty purple fern and some other pink things:

6/19/10

I’ve had this tutorial bookmarked for quite some time, but never got around to making my own Mandala until last night. My triangle measurements will need some fine-tuning to avoid overlapping pieces, like at the bottom left and a tiny white dot in the centre. But overall I was really impressed by the results of my first try, using one of my favourite photos of the Mourning Cloak Butterfly:

I can already see that this is something that I could spend hours and hours playing with. The possibilities are truly endless. But today is a beautiful Saturday, and I will not allow myself to sit inside on the computer~ have a great weekend!

6/15/10

I spent some time this weekend re-vamping the shop a bit, and I also added two new prints, a Ringlet Butterfly, and a Northern Crescent. I listed them on Saturday, and they sold on Monday morning~ I was so excited! I also worked on this Rabbit; I finished it last year but there was something not quite right about it. Now I love it.

I have also listed the Tiny Camera prints in the shop, which sold on Monday as well.

6/12/10

The wildflowers are blooming all over the city these days. Today I walked one of my favourite paths, Pinecrest Creek, to see how many I could find and identify. I am always on the lookout for butterflies too!

Delaware Skipper, perched on Purple Cow Vetch.

Fragrant Wild Raspberry, which was so beautiful and worth the whole walk for me. Maybe I will see one with berries this year.

Red Clover, with Thistle leaves in the background.

Milkweed with a Crab Spider.

Crown Vetch, one of the leaves I was trying to identify a couple of weeks ago.

Ringlet Butterfly on a Daisy. I love his curly tongue!

Dame’s Rocket. I always thought this was Phlox, which is very similar.

6/11/10

For our first anniversary, my husband and I went treasure-hunting at our local antique shops. We decided it was a great way to build a collection of keepsakes, one year at a time; and to spend more time together than money.

At first I was thinking jewelry, but antique shops and flea markets have the most random objects, and sometimes you just have to go with something you love.

6/9/10

I feel like I haven’t been around here in awhile. I can’t really say I’ve been up to any thing in particular, just enjoying a bit of a mental break.

I have, however, been doing some new work with some of my spring photos. Here are two of my favourites. One is a fern with pink apple blossoms, and the other is a Tiger Swallowtail with a pink columbine from my Mum’s garden.

I have to say, that although my focus is butterflies and flowers, I am surprised by how girly my last few images have been. They are all soft pinks, baby blues and pastel colours. Just getting in touch with my feminine side, I suppose.

Speaking of flowers. the wild ones have started popping up everywhere. There are fields of daisies, and countless other tiny colourful gems. Time to take a walk and see how many I can find.

6/1/10

A couple of weeks ago, I collected a few leaves and flowers with a project in mind. I had bought some sunprint paper last summer and never got around to using it. This is the sheet I used as a test sheet, and the leaves came out very nicely.

I plan to do some more elaborate patterns to use on cards, but for this little swatch I decided to mount each leaf into the glass lockets I bought on Etsy.

They are so cute, and the cyanotype paper is an amazing shade of cobalt blue. Click here to see them listed in my Etsy Shop.

About Me

I love city life and natural landscapes that marry well. In the spring, summer, fall and winter I spend a lot of time outdoors with my camera, looking for lovely things to photograph, like butterflies, birds, flowers and trees.